NEW YORK, Sep 21 (IPS) – Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif on the International Day of PeaceThe desire for peace transcends time, geography and religion. Based on justice, human rights and the universal values set out in the UN Charter, a culture of peace brings us all together in our common agenda for humanity. We can only live together by joining such a world order.
Today on International Day of Peacewe call on world leaders to end conflict and embrace a culture of peace, as enshrined in the UN Charter and related international law.
As the UN General Assembly stated in the Declaration and Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace A quarter of a century ago, this was to include: “Respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; promotion of nonviolence through education, dialogue and cooperation; pursuit of peaceful resolution of conflicts; and observance of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among countries.”
Education for peace begins at home and continues in school throughout the years of education. This takes place during the most formative years when a child learns about his identity, ethics, values, conscience, courage and compassion. Where there has been a failure to teach children the need for peace, the world has been turned upside down. This is a global failure without geographical boundaries.
Today we live in a world of unprecedented violence, armed conflict and chaos. All the sincere and genuine commitments made in the UN Charter in 1945 seem to be fading away. Children and adolescents are the most vulnerable, the least protected and the most affected. They bear the burden.
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), three times as many children died in global conflicts in 2023 as in the previous year. United NationsThe number of forcibly displaced people reached an unprecedented 120 million in May 2024.
“In 2023, the United Nations confirmed a record 32,990 serious violations against 22,557 children in 26 conflict areas, an increase of 35% compared to the previous year,” according to a recent analysis by the UN.
We can end these violations and invest in constructive coexistence worldwide. We can use our resources for education, not war. In classrooms around the world, girls and boys who have endured the wrath of war can rebuild their hopes and their lives. It is possible to cultivate a culture of peace. The financial resources are there. The choice of how we use them is ours.
IPS UN Office
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
